A Cage For The Beast
by crossing-danger
Summary: What would happen if someone had the power to control Ichigo Kurosaki one of the most powerful shinigami? What would happen if they could use him against us all?..
1. Chapter 1

A Cage For The Beast

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What would happen if someone had the power to control Ichigo Kurosaki one of the most powerful shinigami? What would happen if they could use him against us all?... Will monster and master learn to work with one another against the woman who seeks to destroy everything they love?

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**Chapter 1**

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I tapped my pencil onto the desk three times. There was something satisfying about the tick tick tick it made. I was finding it hard to concentrate on school. Being a part time Shinigami made it difficult to even stay awake in the day. I started to wonder what it was like for the kids around me, what their normal lives were like. Was mine so different? Was being this other being really like just having a job? Something I should deal with, something that needed to be done?

I sighed. Don't get me wrong I like being a shinigami and all, but sometimes it can be a pain. I was up most of the night dealing with a rampaging hollow. I needed my sleep. I may be able to go out of body and be in soul form but that doesn't mean my body gets to rest. Sighing again I stared at the board upfront, the other student's heads lingering on the edge of my vision. I had no idea what the lesson was about and it didn't seem worth the effort to figure it out now. I wasn't always like this, I wasn't always so lazy. But today is just one of those off days.

Thankfully the bell chimed and the sound of thousands of chairs clattering and scraping screamed out around the building. I got up slowly stretching my arms on the way. I really was tired; I hadn't been this tired in a while. And it wasn't as if the hollow was hard to deal with, it wasn't as if, I wasn't powerful enough to stamp it out. It was easy to end, it just liked to run away before I could do it.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

I looked down to find Orihime smiling at me. Her large grey eyes never left my face as she worked out what mood I was in. I found it strange that Orihime could do this. Sure I was glaring but I always glare, she's always able to know what mood I'm in just by looking at my face, and my face doesn't give that much away.

"Rough night?"

"Yeah, annoying hollow." I muttered as I collected my things into my shoulder bag. There wasn't much to collect so it didn't take long.

I flung the bag over my back grabbing it by the handle.

Orihime was fidgeting, her fingers were winding through one another, and then she started twisting a strand of her long auburn hair.

"ermm I know your tired, but I was wondering if you wanted to come out with us, me Chad and Ishida, were going to go to a little café, its new, so I thought it might be nice to go there"

She looked down this time seeming embarrassed by something. I was tired she was right, and I could do with going home and sleeping my grumpiness off, but why did she have to look so scared to ask me something so simple? I had no choice really, not with the way her eyes screamed "I'm sorry for asking"

"Sure"

Her head popped up along with a beaming smile.

"Great, meet you out front I'm just collecting a few things from my locker" And she was off. I looked around to find all the other students had left as well, so I walked out the classroom and down along the sunlit corridor.

It was the hot season but around four the warmth seemed to leave somewhat and there was always a nice cool breeze in the air. Despite the heat I had a white shirt on with my light jumper over the top, the heat didn't bother me much anymore, probably because I got use to it with all the training.

I descended the last couple of steps and pushed open the double doors. The court yard looked great in summer. The grass was longer, fuller and greener. The tree's bloomed and even the dusty dirt path shined in the sun's rays.

Up ahead Ishida and Chad stood next to each other. There wasn't another pair with a bigger contrast. Ishida was skinny with pale almost sickly looking skin and short but dark hair. Chad was so very different. Very tall and largely built with muscles upon muscles, his longish brown hair covered most of his face in tangled curly waves. His skin was darker which I suspected was the Spanish blood in him, and it made Ishida look like a ghost.

I heard footsteps behind me as Orihime joined me, she kept her eyes in front but a slight smile played on her light rose lips.

"Hey" I said to the others. Chad nodded, but that was a normal response for Chad.

"Kurosaki" Ishida said while turning and we followed him out of the gates.

Orihime and Ishida struck up a conversation about the summer term. We would be off soon which didn't really bother me, I wasn't excited about it, but I guess it did mean I got some much needed sleep. I was trying to latch onto their conversation but my mind kept wondering. It just wasn't my day today. I didn't know if it was just me being tired either, I felt a little strange. Like my brain was sort of fuzzy, like when you have a head cold and your ears go muffled.

"Apparently they sell really great milkshakes" Orihime clapped her hands together and rubbed them as if she couldn't wait. I laughed.

"So kurosaki, did you get that one last night then?"

"Get that one?"

"The hollow I sensed, it was biggish but I thought you could deal with it on your own"

"Yeah it was fine"

"It took you a while though"

My glare spread harder and deeper onto my face. Ishida liked to wind me up, and I guess I liked doing the same to him.

"It kept running away that's the only reason why it took a while" I snapped shoving my hand into my pocket and trying to ignore his smug expression.

A while later we made it to the new Café. It was a small little place cramped between two other stores but even on the outside I had to admit it had a certain charm about it. It had a little wooden door which had been painted red. My guess was it was painted red before it had been turned into this new café because the paint was pealing along the edges. The sign above the wall of windows read Café Rojo in funky block letters. I didn't need to know Spanish to know that that meant red.

We walked inside. And my guess about it being called red must have been right, because the colour was everywhere. The tables were metal and shined silver, but the chairs were all red, all different styles, some arm chairs some straight back chairs, a lot of them odd, but every one coloured a deep shade of red. The walls were white but covered in posters pictures and paintings, it took me a while to even figure out one poster was of a band I liked.

We walked to a round table in a far corner, the chairs were great big puffy arm chairs the red leather faded in some areas, but they were incredibly comfy. As I plopped down into one I knew I liked the place already. It didn't matter even if the food and drink was terrible, the place just had a great atmosphere. Which surprised me because it was quite empty apart form a few couples dotted here and there. A waitress came over from the bar her hair was brown and pinned up in spikes on top of her head. Her lipstick was red, shocking red, and she had high wedge sandals to match. The rest of her uniform was black apart from the little bit of writing above her breast which read Café Rojo and a logo which looked to me from here, like a red feather, but I wasn't sure.

"What would you like?" She asked us smiling.

"What milkshakes have you got?" Orihime got straight into it, her eyes wide with excitement I couldn't help smiling at her. Red lips handed her a menu and she took seconds to browse through it.

"Chocolate and banana milkshake please!" Red lips noted this down on a small note pad and looked to Chad and Ishida. Ishida ordered a coffee, chad ordered a coke. Her eyes turned to me and for some reason they went a little wide. Maybe it was my hair. I often got that reaction from people who had never seen me before, after all it is pretty strange to see bright orange natural hair colour on a Japanese boy.

"And what would you like?" She smiled. Her mouth was small and her lips thin, but the lip stick sure made her look shocking enough. I liked her though, she had a kind smile and I could tell by the way she dressed that she had a loud personality.

"Strawberry milkshake please" She dotted this down and swept off.

"WOW this place is nice!" Orihime was looking around her eyes going from one poster to the other.

"Oooo look Orange Range will be playing in this part of town soon"

"I saw that poster before" I remarked. "I like them but I haven't heard them live"

The simple chatter stopped as we were all too comfortable just taking in the room. It was probably one of the quirkiest cafes I had stepped into. There are plenty of strange cafes in Japan, all with strange themes, but this one was rustic yet modern.

Red lips retuned with our drinks on a tray, she placed them down leaving mine for last. When the glass clunked onto the metal table she gave me a look. I wasn't sure what this look was, I thought at first maybe she didn't like me, maybe I had looked at her funny, but her eyes were telling me something else, like she was looking into my soul or something stupid like that, like she knew who I was, she knew I was a shinigami, but then her eyes broke contact and that feeling vanished. I shivered as she walked away. What the hell was that about? The others hadn't noticed they were two busy drinking. Ishida sipped his hot coffee and started talking to Chad about some exam. Orihime had drunk half her milkshake already.

"Careful there really cold you'll get brain freeze" I warned her while taking a sip of my strawberry milkshake. It was great, not too sweet but not to milky just how I liked it. And not watery as well thick like milkshake should be.

"Yours is good then?" She asked as she clutched her head in pain.

I couldn't help laugh. "Told you to be careful"

We spent an hour in the café talking and just soaking up the atmosphere, the chairs were so comfortable I didn't want to get up again but I was late for dinner so I pushed myself up. We walked outside and Chad and Ishida said their goodbyes and walked the opposite way.

"Want me to walk you home?" I asked Orihime.

"No, no, that's fine, it's not far from here don't worry"

"You sure?"

"Yes its fine, thanks for coming today, ermm, see you tomorrow" And she walked off and I watched her hair bounce on her back. Why did she always get so flustered around me?

I was about to start walking myself when the waitress from before caught my eye. She was putting a bag off rubbish into a dumpster, as she turned she spotted me. She didn't move, just stayed there staring. I got this strange vibe from her, and I had no idea if it was good or bad.

She motioned for me to come to her. Her finger curling, beckoning me.

Normally I wouldn't, but for some reason my feet walked on their own and before I knew it I was standing right in front of her. And I started to panic, I felt strange, I didn't remember telling my feet to walk. I tried shaking myself mentally so I could snap out of it, but I was frozen into place. It wasn't a scared frozen though, that's the thing that bothered me, I was happy to be standing there.

"Hello my little hollow" She smirked, her red lips curving upwards.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Her eyes were dark and shallow, and as she said the word hollow, the colour and heat drained from my face and I felt sick.

"Who are you?" I asked trying to stop my voice from breaking. She knew who I was, she knew about my hollow powers.

"Me, why, I'm just like you" Her hand came towards my face and I wanted to move but I didn't. Her fingers stroked down my cheek bone, along my jaw, and a sudden desire swept me up. I wanted to touch her skin too. My face went red. My palms went sweaty. Her nails dug in a little as she made it to my neck and I had to breathe in deeply to remember why I was so afraid, why this wasn't right.

"You're a shinigami?" I asked between clenched teeth, my breathing deep and raspy. What the hell is wrong with me?

"No, I'm not one of those pathetic creatures any more, I'm a vizard like you, Shinigami powers with hollow powers, I haven't been a full shinigami in a long long time"

"How do you know me?"

"How could I not, your spirit pressure is like a bacon for all to see" She laughed and the sound made my stomach turn, yet my desire grew even stronger. I had to physically stop myself from moving one more step towards her.

"Oh little hollow why are you so afraid?"

"Who the hell are you!"

"You've already asked me that.."

"What do you want!"

"Now that's a better question. Hmmm let's see, what do I want, hmmm well that's easy…you."

And then she was gone. Just like that.

I was standing alone with sweat dripping from my forehead, and the space where she had stood was empty. My heart was racing as if it would thud out of my very chest. Who the hell was she, what did she mean she was after me?

I started walking for home, but then ran instead. The movement it gave my legs was a great realise of energy. I felt better by the time I had reached home, but there were still a lot of things she hadn't explained. Why didn't I sense her spirit energy? Why hadn't any of the others? And most importantly why did my body respond to her in such a way? Every single hair on my arm stood on end. Right now all I needed was my bed. I unlocked the door and headed in not even saying hello to my sisters or answering back to their shouting questions. I needed to be left alone.

I slammed my door shut and dived under the covers. The darkness was better, much better. I breathed slowly and closed my eyes trying to think, or more thinking about not thinking. What's going on with me?

I kept seeing her face in my mind. Her small slim body. Those red lips. Those dark eyes.

I shook my head trying to block them out. Whatever she was, I could handle her. I had handled much worse hadn't i? I laughed at that thought.

As I forced myself to sleep I heard a voice. Maybe it was all in my mind, but I could have sworn I heard a broken voice shout out to me in anger.

I didn't sleep for long that night. I woke up near midnight and sat up. My room was bathed in darkness the only light coming from my window as the moons shine broke in through my curtains. I didn't feel so well again. I was even more tired, almost drained.

I kept thinking about that woman. Thinking that I should talk to someone about her, but then again wouldn't that get them into trouble? Wouldn't it be better if I deal with it myself, besides, she will probably leave me alone now, I have nothing to give her.

I sat like that for some time. Seeing nothing and trying to work things out. What puzzled me most was the fact that something inside of me seemed drawn to her. I shouldn't have walked towards her, but I had, and not because I wanted to, because I had to.

The next morning I woke up hearing the commotion of breakfast being made downstairs. I rubbed my eyes. They felt sore and heavy. I swung my legs to the floor and unbuttoned the shirt I had forgotten to change last night. I flung it on the floor with the rest of my clothes and found a dressing gown in my wardrobe. I walked numbly to the bathroom and ran the shower. I waited before stepping into it, not wanting to get the shock of the cold water before the heat kicked in. While I waited I stared into the small square mirror above the sink. My hair was messy, its orange spikes were flattened in several places, and my eyes looked slightly red. I sighed again which was getting to be quite a habit of mine lately. At least they weren't so red that I looked like I had been crying or something. I was lucky my eyes were light brown and shiny, if they had been darker they might have looked worse.

I shrugged out of the dressing gown and stood there for a while lost in thought. I'm not sure why I stood like that, but that's what I did, I can't even tell if I was thinking or not. My thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on the door telling me to hurry up. I stepped under the water, and as soon as the warmth hit my skin I felt refreshed at once. The water flattened my hair and made it appear longer as it lay down the back of my neck. I closed my eyes for a while letting the droplets warm me and then I got to business washing and was ready for school in ten minutes.

I skipped breakfast and ignored the worried expressions of my sisters. My father was nowhere to be seen and for that I was glad. I left for school my shirt un-tucked under my jumper.

It wasn't as warm today. There was a chill in the air. I walked faster no wanting to be caught in rain, one shower was enough for today.

Just as I stepped into the school building the heavens broke. But it was one of those summer showers, it wouldn't last long, I could already see the sun trying to creep back through the rain clouds.

I went to the vending machine before heading to the class room and stared at the cartons of drink behind the glass. There was bottled water, and juices, even milkshake. But seeing those cartons made memories return so I picked a carton of orange juice instead pushing the coins into the slot. As I bent to reach my drink a pair of feet stood next to me. I looked up with drink in hand and the feet belonged to legs, then a body, then a head. The face was Orihimes to my relief.

"Are you okay?" She asked her eyes were worried.

"Fine why?"

"I just sense something is wrong that's all?"

"Its fine don't worry" I tried smiling at her, but that made her even more worried.

"Come on we'll be late"

The rest of the day went pretty slowly, the lessons I didn't really listen to, the people I didn't really listen to, I was like a zombie, just there in body but not in soul. My mind kept shifting, I know I was maybe worrying to much about that woman, but there was something about her I didn't like.

By the end of the day I was tight lipped and scowling and Orihime looked scared and uncomfortable she wanted to help me but didn't know how to. I wanted to comfort her to tell her everything was fine, but I couldn't bring myself to even speak. I left my desk and was out the building before anyone else was. It was sunny again, the rain long gone, only a few drops on the grass lingered.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime came running up behind me.

"I'm sorry, I know you probably want to be on your own, but if there is anything the matter that you can talk about, I am here, you know that right?"

I nodded at her and did the best smile I could, which was something of a half-smile if I could see my own face I bet it would be pretty grim.

I thought for a minute, is it so bad if I share my worries with someone else for once? I don't have to tell her everything I could just maybe ask her about what she thought about that woman.

I opened my mouth to speak but before any word left I noticed someone staring at us over the court yard. It was her. She beamed at me and came skipping over. My heart literally stopped and then started pounding so hard I thought it might stop all together.

Orihime noticed my reaction and turned around. She didn't smile back at the woman but her face changed into contentment almost automatically, as if she didn't want to show what she was feeling to anyone, not even me.

"There you are Ichigo, I've been waiting for you" Her red lips smiled up at me and she hugged me even though I made no attempt to hug her back. Why was she here, why was she touching me?

"You do remember our date don't you Ichigo?" She laughed. Orihimes eyes went wide and she stared back and forth. I was frozen, I couldn't even move my face. I couldn't shout for help even if I wanted to, something was stopping me, something was pulling at my stomach, it was a strange sensation like a hook was stuck in my navel and tugging me forward. There wasn't anything physically there but it was real. Very real.

"What are you like, you did forget, him and his memory eh?" She said laughing and smiling at orihime. She nodded back but I could tell her whole face was false when she looked at this woman.

"My names Akahana what's yours?"

"Oh ermm Orihime, pleased to meet you" Her voice was quiet but polite all the same.

"Didn't you serve us yesterday?"

"Oh yes, I did, after everyone left, Ichigo here couldn't keep his hands off me, terrible isn't he!" She said with false delight. I wanted to be sick. Worse I wanted to not exist at that moment. The look on Orihimes face hurt me more than anything could, she looked crushed, or more disappointed in me. I didn't know which one was worse.

Akahana if that was her real name glanced at me, and that was all it took for a smile to stretch my lips. I didn't mean to smile, I didn't want to smile. I wanted to run. But that smile crept onto my face like an unwanted cold. It was her, she was making it happen. I didn't know how she was doing it, but I was being controlled in some way.

"Come on lets go" she tugged on my arm and I followed her like a lap dog. Orihime was left there staring after me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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My feet followed on after her as if I was a puppet and she was my master, pulling my strings one by one.

At least the fake smile had left my face.

"What the hell are you doing!"

"So you can speak now" She giggled.

"What do you want from me?"

She ignored my question and carried on walking. We walked towards a park. There were many little parks in this part of town, scatted here and there, this one was one of the more private ones, hardly anyone comes here because the trees are bigger and closer together so the sun hardly touches the floor, not a great spot for sunny walks and pic nicks.

She walked along the path two steps ahead and my feet kept on following her. I tried to stop, I tried to turn but nothing would work, my head felt all fuzzy again as if there was fog inside there stopping me from thinking.

"Stop trying, you won't be able to get away"

"How are you doing this?" I remained calm, but anger was bubbling up inside me just waiting to tip over the edge.

"It's easy, everyone has their powers, this is mine, but that's all I'm saying for now"

"Why are you even bothering?"

She ignored me again and stepped from the path heading for the trees. The low hanging branches brushed my shoulders like friendly fingers.

"Were are you taking me?"

"No were really just fancied a walk" Her tone implied she wanted something from me, I didn't like that, not one bit.

We passed more low branches these ones scratched at my arms but for some reason I didn't try to protect myself, it was her I guessed.

We finally came to a stop inside a clearing. She turned and smiled then looked back. Something was coming, I could feel it, the air shifted, something was moving. And then I heard a roar. A hollow's roar.

I tried reaching for my combat pass which was inside my pocket but my hand only moved an inch. I was scared now, very scared, I couldn't move or even protect myself by pushing away branches how the hell was I going to fight of a hollow that wanted to eat my soul!

It didn't take long to get here. I could hear the crash of its feet as it made its way towards us. Its white mask was the first thing I saw as it came out of the shadow on the other side of the clearing. This hollow was smaller than the usual but still bigger than a car. Its body was monkey like, hunched with long arms and shorter legs, a tail thin and long wrapped around the nearest tree.

"If you don't release me we will both die!"

"Don't be silly, he won't hurt me, not unless I commend him to"

My mouth dropped as I watched the monster walk closer and closer. Akahana held up her hand and it stopped. Just like that. But to me, it didn't seem happy about it. Its tail swished angrily and it grumbled deep within its throat.

"So you have the power to control everything?" I asked not knowing what else I could do but get more information.

"No not everything, you still don't see do you?"

"See what exactly?"

"What have you and that thing there got in common?"

Her red lips curved into another wicked smile and my stomach flipped.

I couldn't believe it, it should have been obvious the moment I had seen the hollow. Oh no.

"That's right, I can control all hollow, and well, since you have a big part of hollow in you, I can control you as well" She sniggered and I wanted nothing more than to push a blade into her chest. I wasn't normally so violent, even towards my enemies, but her being able to control me was bad. My hollow powers are more powerful than even I can imagine, if she has the power to control them, and me, then everything I know and love may be lost.

"Why would you do this, what's in it for you, is it soul society, do you want rid of them?"

"HA don't be silly, I'm not one of those idiots who have a grudge against them, I just want and love one thing, and that's to destroy and control everything!"

"What would you even get out of that, it's so pointless, you would kill people just because you like seeing death!"

"Listen Ichigo, not everyone loves their lives like you, sometimes we all need a little power to get us by"

And then she started to walk away, her hair neatly piled on top of her head made me think of her as a snake, a poisonous snake. And how did she even know my name?

"See you later" She called and then she vanished through the trees, and the tugging feeling in my stomach left and I was myself again.

"Ah great" I turned and the hollow hunched its shoulders ready to pounce.

I yanked the pass out of my pocket and pushed it against my chest. The distant rumble of my soul leaving my body was one I had missed even though it had only been a short time since I had changed. It was a weightless feeling. Like I had shed a few pounds, or like jumping into water were your body weight no longer defines you.

My body fell to the floor but I had no time to catch it, the hollow was running towards me. I grabbed my zanpakuto from behind and flicked it out in front of me.

I almost felt sorry for killing it, after all it had been controlled like me.

The monster went for me without even thinking about were my blade was, really it stabbed itself. I hardly had to move. One swish and it was over. Its body disintegrated into nothing. My arms fell to my sides and I sighed. What the hell am I going to do?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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The sun was starting to dull already, but I couldn't really tell, that was at a guess, the trees covered most of the sky.

The hollow's body was long gone, and I was left alone once more. Left to worry, left to think.

She wanted me, she wanted to control my hollow powers, but to do what? Just destroy? No plan behind it? Surly she had more of a reason then just wanting to kill anyone and anything. But it doesn't matter, whatever that reason is it's not right, and she's not going to do it. I won't let that happen.

I made up my mind I would go for help. She could control me because of my hollow within but she couldn't control the others around me. They weren't like me, they were whole and pure. They didn't have a beast.

I picked up my body and returned to it. It was difficult like trying to put on wet clothes, I knew they fitted but they didn't really want to go on.

I missed the weightless feeling as soon as I was back again. I missed my Zanpaktu as well. I love the way it feels between my shoulder blades, sitting there perfectly as if my body had been made for it.

I knew were to go. Urahara's. He knew everything, he always did, and he'd know how to sort this out. I headed towards were I thought the path might be pushing the branches to the side as they tried snagging at my clothes again. I remembered then that I was still in my school uniform, and I already had a few scrapes and holes in my jumper. Dam.

It didn't take me long to find the path again and I followed it out into the street were woodland met city. I wasn't sure which way Uraharas was from here but I decided to head to the centre and then make my way to his. I could have gotten there quicker if I stayed in my Shinigami form, I could have easily made it to his without even walking, but I felt like I wanted to feel human today.

And besides Akahana controlling me made the thought of being in soul form worrying.

A few people stared at me as I passed them. Maybe it was the hair, maybe it was the holes on my jumper or the cut on my cheek or the dust that might have covered me from the fight. Who knows, but I did my best ignoring them and carried on walking to where I thought was the centre of things.

I soon recognised a little corner shop. An old woman worked there and I sometimes popped in there on my way home if I fancied a walk. It was a nice little shop, filled with sweets and odd little bits and bobs. I pattered my pockets for loose change and finding none rooted in my bag for my wallet.

The door jingled as I entered and the old woman sat behind the counter wished me welcome. I went to the one of the small fridges and browsed the drinks. There wasn't much of a choice but they did have strawberry milkshake. I picked up two cartons and took them to the till.

"Oh dear what happened to you?"

"Happened?"

"Your clothes, did you take a tumble?"

"Oh yeah, it's fine though"

She nodded and I paid, she then gave me change and smiled.

"Have a good evening"

"Thanks you too"

I walked out and ripped the top of the carton and drank as I walked. I knew which way it was now, straight ahead. It wouldn't take me long from this route.

I put the extra carton into my bag and gulped the rest of mine. I threw it into the nearest bin and put my spare hand into my pocket.

I hope Urahara has an answer, or at least can tell me how to sort it out myself. I hate to ask other people for help, but this isn't just about me. If I can't stay in control I might hurt other people. That's something that I need to sort out, it's my duty as a shinigami.

I passed less and less people the further I walked, the sun was starting to really set now, the colour draining from the sky. The clouds from today had disappeared leaving the sky clear and inky as the navy blackness started to take over the light.

I could see his shop now, it was just ahead between a couple of houses. It stood out between the buildings around it as it was long and flatter. Its dusty pathway was large and open and no little gardens or fancy gravel stood in front of it.

I made my way towards the door but stopped just before pulling it aside. A small note on a square piece of paper was stuck near to the handle. It read "Kurosaki, gone out, see you tomorrow, Urahara"

I laughed to myself he always knew when I would turn up, it was a little creepy.

Well no point sticking around here then. I turned and left but not in the direction of home. I passed more shops until they started dying out and all that was left was houses and apartments.

I wonder what he's up to. Probably something dangerous or adventurous or maybe he really is just getting supplies for his shop, I highly doubt that though.

I rounded a corner and turned into a small street, this block was nearly all apartments I went to the first one pushing the small metal gate aside. I walked up the stairs until I came to the right door and knocked.

I heard movement from inside and the door swiftly opened. Orihime looked at me like she hadn't seen me in a long time though it had only been earlier on. I felt bad as soon as I seen her. Despite me being carted off by some strange woman and leaving her there without an explanation she still smiled at me as if I could never do anything wrong. I didn't know what to say really.

"I'm…" I tried telling her I was sorry, I then tried to explain what had happened but the words wouldn't form whenever I thought about them. Okay so maybe I couldn't tell her. Maybe I couldn't tell anyone, maybe that woman stopped me. Dam her.

I sighed and handed her the other strawberry milkshake instead.

She took it without a word, and then gently stroked the small cut along my cheek.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

I got home that night and sat there. My sisters were out at a friends and my dad was once again no were to be seen. I enjoyed being alone, I didn't want them to come to harm because of me. I sat downstairs on the couch and stared at the blank TV screen as if I wanted to watch something. But I just didn't have the attention span to do that.

It was fully dark now and I didn't even bother turning on the lights so the room was bathed in almost complete darkness. I sat like a statue. I just didn't know what to do with myself, I was more annoyed then worried. Annoyed that once again someone wanted to use me to hurt people. I hated people like that, people who can't do their own dirty work and manipulate others to gain their own power.

My blood boiled over and I stood up clenching my fists until my hands went numb with dull pain.

"Ichigo….."

A voice entered my mind. A voice I knew well and one that chilled me to the bone.

His voice.

"Ichigoooooo…." I heard him cackle and I knew what would happen next. My vision went blank and I felt my body fall but by then I was being sucked in, Sucked into my inner world.

I felt my body float and plunge but had no idea where I was, which was up which was down everything was a mess and then I heard a soft thud and felt coolness under my face hands and stomach.

I breathed in and out slowly trying to not feel sick from the sudden motion and then opened my eyes.

I sat up and looked around. It looked the same as ever, a land of tall gleaming sky scrapers, a vast city of emptiness. Each one looking the same but having different sizes. It also freaked me out the way they were sideways and the clouds drifted along that way too. Being in this place always made me unsure if there really was a right way up at all.

I stood and turned around looking for him, and him I found standing a couple of feet away.

I was in shinigami form now and went to grab my sword but the hollow put up his hand as if telling me it wasn't necessary. I didn't listen to him, I grabbed the handle and the blade flew out in front of me in a flash.

"You don't need to do that, you're not here to fight"

"Every time I come here I end up fighting, how do you expect me to react!"

He sighed. My hollow actually sighed, now there's a sound I never thought I'd hear coming from him, the guy who's always cocky and blood thirsty.

"What do you want, I have enough things on my plate without you to deal with at the moment!"

"Not all our problems are the same but this one is."

I just stared at him wanting him to get to the point.

"That woman." He said simply, his white face was identical to mine apart from his black and gold eyes. Even if his whole body skin and hair was normal instead of deathly white, he could never look normal with eyes like that.

"Akahana you mean?" I grumbled.

"Yessss" He hissed. For once he wasn't grinning that crooked smile of his and for some reason that made me slightly happy, I hated to see him so happy with himself, this was a change.

I looked up and down at him, his shinigami uniform the opposite from my black. Its white folds gave him no contrast at all from his skin, it was only the gold in his eyes that stood out.

"She controls us"

"I know"

"She will use you, she will use you to kill"

"I won't let that happen"

"How won't you let it happen? You can't even talk about her to anyone can you, you've tried and it doesn't work!"

"I only tried telling Orihime maybe it was just because of the mood I was in."

He shook his head.

"Don't you get it, she controls you and me, she can control our power fully, what you have seen so far is nothing more than child's play and tricks, she won't let you talk about her, she won't let you seek help, and when the time is right she will use you against those creatures you call friends."

I couldn't stand anymore and plonked down staring ahead at nothing. I didn't know what to say, I knew he was right, I just didn't want to believe it.

He came closer to me and then stopped as if he thinking about it before he actually came to close, but then he seemed to make his mind up and sat right next to me staring of at the view himself.

It was strange sitting so close to the creature that always loved to fight with me. A creature who would happily stick a blade into my chest and twist it till my body caved in.

I shuddered.

"What can we do, I won't be able to fight her will I, I know I haven't tried but if she can control a full hollow in the real world and also control my legs to walk my lips to move and stop me from speaking about her, how the hell will I be able to go against her!"

The hollow breathed deeply his raspy voice was enough to turn my hairs on end, but for the moment I trusted him, only a little, never a lot.

"She believes that me, the power inside you is tamed and that you completely control me, but you don't, and therefore there might be a way we can turn against her, some time when she least expects it."

I couldn't believe how normal he sounded, it was almost comical the way he made plans like an ordinary human or shinigami, but I keep having to remember that this being here is a hollow, he's all the bad things that can possibly be in a person, greed, lust, thirst, death, anger…Danger, living breathing danger.

"What do you mean?"

He glared at me but tired explaining. "This woman thinks that you and I are the same, but we are not, I have my own life force I share yours as well, and I need yours to actually live, but I still have at least half of my own, half of my own mind, and my own being, she doesn't see this. So maybe when she's controlling you and me there will be a weak spot, we might be able to find a way out of the controlling power, maybe if you let me take over you fully, I then might be able to take her down because a big part of me is still free from all types of control"

I wasn't sure, I just felt confused. "I won't let you take me over, you're a monster, how am I meant to trust you, what if I let you do that and she can control you even easier because your powers are on the outside?"

"That may happen, but I strongly believe that she underestimates our power and that when it its fully realised the hollow power is so raw that she will not be able to keep her claws firmly attached"

He had a point but was it worth risking it? Well either way she was going to use me so maybe it is.

"I don't know."

"I know you don't trust me, it would be boring if you did, but the only thing I will be interested in is killing her, believe me, when a hollow is used that person has a death wish from the first moment"

I recalled seeing the hollow she had controlled in the park, remembering the way it stood there like a dog who had been told to sit, but it had still looked so angry, the way its tail had swished the way its claws had dug into the ground from annoyance. Maybe this plan wasn't a total loss. Maybe it could work.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

"Ichigo…ICHIGO!"

I sat up completely startled.

"What…Where?"

"What happened, I found you lying on the floor, are you okay?"

My dad was staring over me his face lined with concern. I must have fallen asleep while in my inner world. Unless the whole thing was all a dream, but I knew that wasn't true.

"Oh, I must have fallen on the floor in my sleep or something"

"Why were you sleeping on the couch anyway?"

"I don't know, just tired must have dozed off, sorry for worrying you"

I tried not to look my farther in the eyes. After all he knew me a lot more than I ever realised. I knew he had been a shinigami, and that he can still change form if he wishes to, but I have no idea about how that came to happen, and I don't really want to know, not yet anyway. Some secrets should be left alone for a while.

I stood up and stretched, my shoulder hurt from the fall, thankfully my cheek wasn't cut anymore, Orihime had seen to that. Her powers never left me feeling sore either.

My dad looked at me some more as if he wanted to say something but then he got up and started turning on a few lamps so the whole place wasn't in total darkness.

"We've you been anyway?" I asked him.

"I've been at the surgery, bad crash, we had a few patients to look after"

I nodded.

"I'm sorry that I always leave you and your sisters alone, I don't mean to"

"Don't worry about it"

I started walking towards the stairs but his voice cut me off.

"Son…Is something wrong?"

I kept on facing the stairs, my eyes were wide. I knew he would know. He wasn't as stupid as he acted.

I tried to tell him. Even if I hardly ever shared anything with him, this was one of those times were I really should. What I really wanted to say was. "yes, some evil witch is able to control me, and the raging beast inside of me wants to be free, but she can control him too, now what do I do!" But when I opened my mouth this came out.

"Everything's fine, I think I'll go up to bed" My tone was neutral and wasn't really my own. When I walked up the stairs quickly I had a rage inside of me that could have burnt down a whole house.

It was a fact now. I couldn't tell anyone about her, she wouldn't let me.

I walked into my room closing the door behind me but froze halfway in. There was someone sitting on my bed.

"What are you doing here, leave now, or I'll kill you!"

Akahana was sitting on my bed her legs crossed over one another. Nothing angered me more than that person being close to my family.

"Did you hear me, I told you to get out."

"But Ichigo, you won't tell me to get out again, and I won't get out, you know that don't you"

I went to speak but found my mouth would not open. Great, just perfect. The one person I hate more than anyone in the world and I can't even shout abuse at the bitch, that's just peachy!

I couldn't even move, I just stood there, while she got up and came over to me, her face inches from my own.

I felt a surge of desire, longing. I wanted to kiss her, I wanted to taste her, and then I also wanted to rip her apart. My guess was that was the hollow's desire.

I knew this desire was false, I knew it wasn't real in the slightest, she made me feel it, because she couldn't get anyone who could feel it for real.

Her lips lightly brushed over my frozen ones and then she pulled away smiling.

"I had fun speaking with you, goodnight" Then she turned and leapt through my window disappearing.

"I hate your guts" I whispered to myself or to anything that might be listening. "I hate your guts, and I will kill you, no matter what it takes I won't let you hurt anyone, I will enjoy your death!"

I grabbed my pass from my pocket and pushed it to my chest with enough force that my soul form flew backwards much harder than usual.

My body almost hit the floor but I caught it in time. I put it to bed under the sheets as if I were sleeping and then I also leapt from the window and into the dark night.

The rush of the cold night air hitting my face almost defused my anger. Almost.

I wasn't trying to follow her, I couldn't even sense her spirit energy so I wouldn't be able to find her even if I tried I just needed to move, to be anywhere but to be moving at least.

I soared in the air over buildings and shops and houses nobody was out nobody looked up. I kept on moving until my joints got tired and stiff from the cold and until my anger had dulled some. But I still didn't feel like going back. I searched for somewhere to sit. And finding nowhere really private enough I picked the roof of some building. The slates were slanted but it seemed like a good place to rest so I touched down without making a sound and sat there looking out over the other rooftops.

The sky was slightly cloudy in places but they were thin and patchy, like whips of smoke. I watched them for a while transfixed by the shapes they made as they lazily moved on.

It wasn't long until someone found me.

"What are you doing here I didn't sense a hollow?"

Ishida landed on top of the roof making me jump. He sat a few feet away from me and watched the same cloud I was watching as it morphed into something new.

"Needed some air"

"Orihimes worried about you." He said flatly.

I felt annoyed at myself all over again. Annoyed that I couldn't explain anything to them, annoyed that I could lose them because of that.

"She shouldn't be I'm fine."

"Well she seems to think something happened to you, she's gotten it into her head that maybe you can't tell us" He rested his chin on his hand and then pushed his square glasses further up his nose.

I didn't know how to answer back and besides there wasn't much I could say.

"Has something happened?"

"It's fine"

"Kurosaki?"

"Leave it"

"hmmm" He faced me and gave me a hard cold stare. There wasn't much else I could do. I got up and breathed in deeply tasting the fresh air.

"I'll see you tomorrow" I told him and then jumped off the roof landing on a fence and then running along it. He didn't follow me, but I could tell he knew something was wrong. I bet everyone knew it, I just couldn't agree with them.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

I walked into school that day feeling more tried then I had the other day, but I didn't regret not sleeping. I didn't want to sleep, I was afraid something might happen.

I stepped into the building earlier than usual, classes didn't start for ages so I walked into the class room and sat on top of my desk while drinking some orange juice from a carton. It was a dull day, the clouds covered the blue sky like a churning carpet of black. Everything felt cold and depressing or maybe that was just my mood.

It wasn't long till the others joined me.

Ishida Chad and Orihime all walked in together they looked like there were in a deep conversation but seeing me they plastered smiles onto their faces, well Orihime did at least.

I knew there conversation might have been about me, and I wasn't angry, they wanted to help me that's all.

"You're in early" Ishida said looking me up and down as if to check I was actually real.

"Yep"

Orihime came over and looked into my eyes and I stared back wishing I could just explain everything. She seemed to know, she always understood me more then I knew most of the time.

"You need more sleep" She said as she brushed her fingers under my eye. I smiled for the first time in ages, because that was undoubtedly true.

At that moment a hollow decided to make its presence known. I felt its pressure before hearing its shrieking hungry roar.

I got up quickly grabbing my combat pass. I looked to the others.

"We'll take of your body" Ishida looked to Chad and he came over, his arms ready to catch.

"Go Ichigo" He grumbled in that deep voice of his. Chad only spoke a few words but when he did his voice was always deep and clear.

"We'll put you back at my apartment now" Orihime whispered while looking at me, she seemed worried again for some reason, it was only a hollow, that I could deal with.

"Don't worry" I told her, as I plunged the pass to my chest and then pushed one of the windows aside and jumped through. The rush of the air and the fall was always exhilarating. I ran along the air getting higher and higher until I had a good view of everything around me.

The pressure was coming from somewhere close, but somewhere open, that much I could tell, it was too loud and clear to be hiding between buildings.

It didn't take me long to catch sight of the creature.

It was prowling around near a disused area were a warehouse once stood, most of the building had been burnt down from a fire, and the area was empty apart from rubble and metal scatted here and there. Perfect I thought a decent place to deal with it.

I dropped down and the creature turned to stare at me through its white mask.

This hollow looked bull like, its body was bulky and short it had hooves and its mask looked like a dried skull you might find on a desert, it had horns to, large jagged looking things that stuck out over its head.

It grunted turning its bulk of a frame towards me ready to charge.

I laughed and pulled my large sword from my back. I loved how the blade was much larger than most, kitchen knife shaped its gleaming black surface so black you could look at your reflection in it.

The thing pulled back one of its hooves kicking up dirt in anger.

And then it charged. And I was ready.

Its head was pulled down its horns getting closer ready to strike me, but I had a blade, a blade I knew as well as I knew my own soul. This would certainly be too easy.

As I raised my arm with the blade in my hand something happened. My mind went fuzzy, a pulling feeling latched itself into my stomach, and the only thing that crossed my mind at that very moment was, I was going to die.

Its head smacked right into my chest knocking the air out of me and sending my whole body flying. I landed in a tangled heap on the floor dust covering me and making it even harder to breath.

I was pretty sure I had broken a few ribs, the pain was unbelievable, so bad that my vision went in and out of focus as I tried to stay awake, if I lost sight the thing would beat me to death.

It kicked at the dirt once more ready to try again.

I moved pulling myself onto my knees my zanpaktu still firmly placed in my hand. I tried pulling it up but my arm didn't move. I tried using my other arm to at least protect myself but that wouldn't move either. I tried running, but my legs stayed in place.

The nagging feeling in my stomach didn't leave but only got stronger. Was she trying to kill me? But didn't she want to use me? And then I realised she was seeing if I survived it was a test and also a lesson.

I roared in anger as the bull hollow came crashing into me again this time one of its horns hit lucky, it ripped into my shoulder causing this horrible blinding pain to flitter through my arm.

I rolled onto my stomach and face and just lay there bleeding and bruised. I was going to die. How was I meant to survive I couldn't even move, she wouldn't let me.

The more seconds that passed the harder it was for me to breath, maybe I had ruined a lung. But that was the least of my worries.

I tried getting up of the floor but each time I tried to push myself up my arms gave way and I fell back down. That's when I saw her, Akahana, we was standing further away hiding behind a pile of rubble, and she smiled at me then put her finger to her lip telling me to shush.

I closed my eyes not wanting to see the bull as it readied itself to charge once more. This next blow would surly kill me.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

I expected to feel its rock solid skull crash into me, and to not ever think of anything again, but I felt nothing but a small breeze ruffle my hair.

Intrigued that I might actually already be dead I looked up to find a bright orange shield in front of me, the hollows head on the other side had smashed into it but had gotten nowhere.

Orihimes shield had saved my life.

I tried getting up from the floor but my arms and legs still wouldn't listen to me, was that Akahana or was that because I was seriously hurt?

Orihime came running over Ishida at her side, she had tears in her eyes as she stared down at my limp body my face half in the dirt, but she was also angry, and I had hardly ever seen that expression on her face.

Ishida held his arms out and then a blue spiritual pressure formed around his fingers creating the shape of a bow. He pulled back his arm firing an arrow of pressure, but despite Ishida having one of the fastest shots the hollow seemed to be one step ahead. He moved his mask skull so that the arrow hit him square in the forehead, but the arrow of pressure broke apart and disappeared to nothing.

Its skull was its power, it could kill with it and protect with it.

"Hmmm" Ishida grumbled obviously annoyed.

Orihime stood in front of me the shield still in place her arms out wide as if she could protect me with just that. The hollow charged this time breaking it but sending itself further backwards from the rebound. It shook its head as if getting rid of a headache, but then looked forward readying itself.

"You will not hurt Kurosaki-Kun!"

It ran at us, Ishida summoned another arrow this time he seemed to be working out the best place to hit the beast, if he hit its head the arrow would fail, so he had to try its body, but it's hard to kill a hollow without destroying its head. There like cockroaches, always coming back for more.

"KOTEN ZANSHUN I REJECT!" Orihime used the incantation to attack and a zip of light streamed at the hollow as it came bounding over, at the same time Ishida released an arrow and I watched in awe as both attacks hit the hollow in the neck just under its mask, and the beasts head was severed and its body distorted into particles.

"Ichigo what happened are you okay?"

She bent down next to me and put a hand to her hair pins to release her healing power, but Akahana interrupted.

I tried telling her to run, but again my mouth was forced shut. Dam her! I'll kill that woman if it's the last thing I ever do!

She strode out from behind the rubble and instinctively Orihime and Ishida went on the defensive, arrow and hand raised.

"This is your doing isn't it, Ichigo should have been able to handle that hollow easy, you've done something to him haven't you, I've sensed it for a while!"

"Hmm you're not as stupid as you look ginger" She sniggered lips curving in that way that made me feel queasy.

"What are doing to him let him go!"

"I won't take orders from a human" She then looked to me on the floor and flicked a finger. My arms and legs became moveable again, but it wasn't me who was moving them. I got up slowly everything hurt.

"Ichigo..?"

"Heal him ginger" she snapped as she stood there with arms crossed her small frame looking even tinier against two other people, but that didn't seem to worry her.

"Why would you hurt him this way then get Orihime to heal him?" Ishida asked as he stopped the arrow from forming. No point wasting spirit pressure when the fight hadn't started yet.

"It was a test to see how well he would cope, to see how deep my control went, you see sometimes in dire circumstances when the being I am controlling is in very real danger sometimes the control slips, but I've been training to stop that, and this was my test, he would have died if it weren't for you two"

"That doesn't make sense you wanted to kill him?"

"Or course not, if he still hadn't regained his own control I would have stopped the hollow myself a second before it struck" She said simply as if that outcome was obvious.

"I would have found someone to heal him myself but, hey here you are to do it for me."

"Orihime…don't, heal me…" I managed to speak but as soon as I had she flicked another finger and my mouth jammed shut , my stomach went tighter and I knew I would have dropped to my knees if it wasn't for the control keeping me upright.

"If you don't heal him, I'll make him kill himself"

"WHAT?"

"If you don't heal him, he will be useless, so I'll just dispose of him"

"How can you talk about another living person that way!"

"Heal him or he slits his own throat"

My blade arm moved and turned so the sword was placed at my neck. It touched the skin ever so slightly. Why would she do this, why bring the others into it.

"Okay" Orihime looked at me and mouthed sorry. The orange glow covered me and I felt warmth spread through my joints fixing bones and muscle. It was a nice but odd feeling, but that good feeling was soon replaced by panic. If I am healed I am powerful again, and she can control that power.

In those few minutes while my body returned to normal I heard my hollows voice creep into my head. "She says there is no loop hole in her power, but she has never met power like ours, so raw that we have once before ripped a hole through hell, she will suffer Ichigoooo, she will die!" He cackled and that sound stayed with me for a long while, and for once I was pretty dam pleased to hear him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

"Well done" Akahana beamed, and then set her dark eyes on me.

"Come" She said simply, and like that my legs moved, now fully healed, but feeling stiff. I didn't even look at the others as I walked over to her, my head bowed. I felt embarrassed more than anything, embarrassed that she could control me so easily, and angry, so very angry.

"What are you planning to do?" Ishida asked his voice calm despite the tension in the air. If it was visible it would probably look like black liquid forming and rolling around us, around her.

"Now there wouldn't be any fun in telling you that would there, but I will tell you this, were off to soul society…see you there." And she turned as if she was just walking away, but the air around us ripped and shifted, a hole appeared in the fabric of space itself, and we walked through it as if just walking through any other door. I heard the shouts of the others from behind me but I couldn't even manage to turn and face them, to at least see them one last time.

I didn't know where we had ended up, it was cold and large and full of blackness. Things moved in the shadows, claws clicked on hard stone floor. And that's when I lost consciousness, the last thing I saw were a dozen hollows crowding around me in the gloom, and the one girl that stood there laughing.

My body despite having been healed by Orihime was hurting, it was a dull pain like having toothache, but one that would certainly make me go crazy. I couldn't stand it. I opened my eyes and had to squint from the light. I knew where I was straight away, I couldn't mistake the fact that there was no sun at all, and that the light that drifted over me was a mystery.

I sat up and I looked at him, and he looked at me.

"Why am I here again?" I groggily looked over the tall buildings, the sea of loneliness that seemed to have no end.

"You're the one that came here" My hollow said with a shrug of his white shoulders.

"I can't stand it anymore!" I growled gripping my stomach with both hands.

"That pain you feel is her control" He said his black and gold eyes stared into mine with a coldness that set my teeth on edge.

"There's no way we can stop her, even with that plan of yours, she will be able to control both of us"

He chuckled and I had to look twice to make sure I was looking at my hollow and not an actual human. The sound was so normal it was far too strange to be coming from his throat.

"Haven't you ever heard that saying before?"

"Which one?" I snapped not in the mood for riddles.

"The one that goes, power always comes with a price?"

"Isn't that from Spider man?" I laughed despite the situation.

He glared at me showing his sharp teeth and his black gums.

"No matter where it's from its true, power does come with a price, and we are that price"

"No, you think we will be." I corrected him getting fed up of his positive self, I missed the hollow that tried to rip me apart every time I met him, crazy but true.

"What happened to the ichigo that was always looking for a fight huh?" He was sitting down a couple of feet away from me, his legs crossed as he stared up at the fake sky.

I didn't know what to say to that, in a lot of ways he was telling the truth, wasn't it always me who didn't care about what would happen but just went for it, hadn't I always been like that?

"Your fear is stopping you again."

"It's not me I fear for, it's everyone else"

"Exactly"

I laughed because he seemed so wise, speaking of wise.

"Where's Zangetsu?" As soon as I said his name he was there behind the hollow, floating, his black coat billowing around him like a sail.

"I've always been here" His rough voice sent a shiver through my body. It echoed around us.

I felt better seeing him, he had always helped me, even at times when he was fighting me, it was always to help me.

"Why is there fear in your heart again Ichigo?" The hollow laughed quietly to himself, he grinned at me and that made me want to punch him in his stupid identical face.

"Because I want to be able to project them, but I can't, because it's me who will hurt them."

"Then you should know the answer."

I looked up at his weathered face his bloodshot eyes hiding behind colourless glasses.

"Protect yourself"

I then left that world and woke up in one that was all too familiar.

* * *

_Note: Hey guys am sorry this chapter took longer then the others, I haven't been well, got Vertigo an inner ear problem so looking at a pc screen makes me feel motion sickness, but today it hasn't been so bad, and I felt bad for the time delay, see what I do for you! :P , sorry about the chappy being shorter then the others, and ill get more chapters done as soon as possible hopefully today 01/07/2012_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

* * *

"Why have you brought me here?" I coughed, my mouth was as dry as bone, and my eyes hurt as I looked up at the sunlight that came filtering through the trees. It was warm, the earth was parched and the trees themselves looked just about ready to die.

We were in soul society. I could tell, the air was thick with spiritual pressure, it was just like breathing in oxygen but only having more of it, a thicker much more tastier blend.

I sat hunched leaning on a tree trunk. Akahana was standing in front of me and she was looking through the trees at something, she seemed to be nervous which was a first.

"Ah you're awake" She giggled her mood changing from serious to something like that of a child instantly, like flipping a switch.

She came over and sat in front on me, she twirled a strand of her dark her around her middle finger and stared at me as if we were normal, and were on a date. As if she wanted to get to know me better.

"Why are we here?"

"Impatient aren't we, I told you before I seek power"

"I thought you didn't care about the Shinigami, I thought you just wanted to destroy"

"And I still do, but the Shinigami will figure me out and try to catch me one day, so what better place to start then get rid of them, or at least enough of them to make them suffer."

I realised then that she was wearing Shinigami uniform like me, expect there was something different about hers. But I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

A blade was clipped to her hip and to the sash that tied around her waist. That was it! The sash was black instead of white. It made the whole uniform look different.

"Why are you wearing a uniform?"

"Because I want them to think that I betrayed them, that's the best kind anger you can get from people, as soon as they think they have been betrayed there angry, the power is fresh, hungry"

I didn't know what she was talking about. I was groggy and felt tried and sick. The pain in my stomach was still there.

"You said you didn't have a grudge against the soul society, you said you were not like the pathetic people that went against them, but that is exactly what you're doing" I growled at her I tried sitting up but my body stayed slumped against the tree it was as if all the life had been drained from me.

"Don't exert yourself, I'm making you not move so your energy will be pure and strong when it comes to battle" She smiled like a child who had gotten a present.

"I'm not like those people who go against soul society, because I don't have a grudge against them, I just want to destroy everything, first I'll start here, second ill ruin that little town of yours, and then maybe Ill carry on, until the world is burned and black"

"You will never harm them, not the people here or the people in that town, I will stop you"

"ha, so young and so dumb" She unsheathed her blade, it was a normal silver metal colour, the handle was black, and hilt rectangle, it looked average.

"My power controls hollow's as you know, but there's one thing I didn't mention. Every little thing I destroy the power gets sucked up into this zanpaktu and into me, that's why I seek to destroy the shinigami, because they have a lot power and that power, all of it, will be mine"

"It seems a bit pointless to me, same old same old, you'll try to destroy everyone, gain your power, but in the end you'll just be stopped, like there always stopped!"

She slapped me across the face. The stinging burn made my blood boil again, I wanted nothing more than the grab the blade from my back and fight her.

"Be quiet."

"If you're so powerful then why do you need me, why do you need the hollow"

"Never do the dirty work yourself"

I glared at her, but she just stared at me as if she was teaching me a lesson. She bent down and kissed me on the lips, and I had an urge to slit her throat right there and then.

"Wow I do love how murderous your hollow is, he's quite fun" She giggled as she kissed me again, this time staying there longer. I wanted to push her away but I couldn't, and while she enjoyed herself my hollow grew more and more angry, I felt him inside my soul, I felt my power surge again and again like waves lapping against the cliffs. He'd never wanted to hurt anyone so much.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

"Now I think it's time we begin." Akahana got up from the ground, her face warm from the effort of kissing me, she seemed pretty happy with herself.

"Come along" She clicked her fingers and I sprang up and was at her side instantly. I hated that. I hated her.

She was peering through the trees again and I followed her gaze. What my eyes met was something out of a horror film. Beyond the trees was a large clearing, a massive blank patch of grass that held nothing, I knew were this was, I had battled here many times before. And there was a battle going on right now. I could see hollow everywhere, monsters taking on all different shapes the only thing the same about each one is the white masks that marks what side there on.

There were Shinigami too, fighting off the hollows, but they were having a hard time. There were so many hollows and all of them were at high strength, all of them were a high class, they were good at fighting, they had more intelligence then the average one, and they were blood thirsty. I watched as both sides had bodies littering the floor, there was no one I recognized lying there but still my heart grew heavy in my chest. She was killing them, she was killing people.

I watched as the battle carried on and hollow and man went against each other giving it there all. That's when the captains appeared, all of them. They released their zanpaktu without another thought and went against the hollow for their fallen comrades.

"Perfect" She purred and she held my hand tightly, it was like a snare, or the grip of a snake as it coils around its prey. She pulled me along with her and we descended out of the trees and down the small hill heading for the clearing.

I felt their pressure before I saw them, they were here as well. Orihime Chad and Ishida were in a circle back to back, fighting off approaching hollows. Rukia and Renji were close by them they all looked sweaty and had a few snags in their clothing but apart from that they looked fine to my relief. They all noticed me then and stared, eyes wide and mouths open, an unspoken question in the air. "am I the enemy?"

The fight seemed to stop then. The hollow gathered closer to Akahana and me, probably waiting for her orders. There were thousands of them, the more we waited the more they appeared. And that's when I noticed the crack in the sky above us, and I could just see some shinigami there trying to close it.

The captains came closer their eyes not leaving my face.

"What's the meaning of this?" The head captain called.

I felt my face whiten. He looked incredibly old, but I knew how powerful he was. Behind his robe held the many scars of battles he had won in his years as a shinigami. For him to join the battle it must be serious.

"He's with me" Akahana called, she smiled at him, and he stared at her as if she was dirt under his shoe.

"Who are you, what's the meaning of this nonsense?"

"Nonsense you say?"

She let go of my hand and took a step away from me. I looked at her and panic skittered around my insides, what is she planning to do, what the hell am I going to do! I can't kill my friends, I can't! If I hurt them then I might as well be dead.

Byakuya stood out among the captains because his eyes never left my own, he stared at me with a composed look on his face as if he was figuring things out. His black hair that trailed down his back moved in the breeze. The heat was intense and got worse the more the atmosphere grew to a heavy mass.

"She's controlling him somehow" He reported to the others.

"Well done, how fast" Akahana rolled her eyes and clapped her hands a few times for good measure.

"What is it you want?" The head captain carried on. His small eyes glared at the woman with a fiery anger.

"Destruction" She laughed and then a burning warmth spread through me. It was if my blood had turned to fire it was heating me up from the inside running along my arms and legs and starting from my stomach.

"Ichigo…Attack"

My feet shot forwards and my hand grabbed the blade from my back, it glinted in the sun.

Renji got before the others and blocked my attack.

"What's wrong with you, why are you fighting us!" I didn't answer, I couldn't, but just stared at him. I brought my sword back and went to slice at him, but he quickly jumped out of the way.

"Ichigo…" I heard her say from behind me somewhere.

My blade came out in front of me and I put my other arm to that arm and held on tightly. I knew what words were coming, I could feel them itch under my skin.

"BAN-KAI!" The dust spiralled around me and the captains and shinigami that were closest stepped back out of my way. My uniform transformed along with my blade. It was now long and narrow, completely black and deadly looking. A small chain fell from the black handle and jingled as if the blade was happy to be here.

I felt the power in me grow and grow and I shot forwards once more after anyone that wanted a piece of me. Renji jumped in front again, our blades made contact and he was nearly thrust away.

"Ichigo, get a hold of yourself, stop this, we can handle the hollows, we will defeat them but your different, you have to gain control!"

I felt laughter come from my throat, laughter that was by no means my own. I jumped away from him and then leapt at him, my blade sliced into part of his shoulder and he went down. I didn't stop to finish him but went for the next person standing close enough. Rukia. She knew I was coming for her, and she hurriedly got ready for my attack.

Are Zanpaktu connected, black against pure white.

"You just hurt one of your friends, that's not you Ichigo!"

My stomach clenched and unclenched I was worried for Renji, she was right, he was my friend, but I knew from a small wound like that he would be fine. I was more worried about what my next attacks would be like, was she just making them small at first to show off? Could she kill using me, could she really do that?

I pushed Rukia aside and she fell onto the floor surprised that I would attack her even though she knew I was under some form of control. Idiot. Your all idiots, get away!

"Getsuga tenshou!" The words left my mouth before I even knew I had started speaking them and a black and red form of power gushed out from my sword and into anything that might still be standing. A few shinigami that didn't know me well were knocked of their feet and badly hurt, they had open wounds and burned flesh. The captains that were familiar with my attack managed to escape the worst of it.

"I have no choice….Kill Kurosaki Ichigo" Head captain's voice reached me slowly and softly as if it were words from a dream. They fluttered over my mind and I had to think extra hard about what those words actually meant.

He was ordering them to kill me, I was already too dangerous to be kept alive while under this control. I couldn't believe it. I didn't know whether it was a good or bad thing. Maybe they could stop me and I wouldn't hurt anyone else. But maybe they couldn't. Maybe I would kill them all.

My only hope is that one of my friends gets to kill me first before I hurt them, before I hurt anyone else.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

* * *

My rage was building just as much as my power was. She was using me for the one thing I never liked, hurting others. And she was doing it by standing there with a smile plastered all over her smug little face.

I kept up with my relentless attacks. Shinigami after shinigami came after me and attack after attack I sent to them. My getsuga tenshou was destroying parts of soul society even though we are high in the hills away from the buildings. I could hear them smash and fall in the distance, and the only other sounds were the wind and the screams of others.

Soi Fon came after me at high speed, she had never liked me, and in her eyes I saw death. She was a slender small woman, but she had a temper and she was now concentrating that temper on me. Her released sword, formed something like a glove that only fit one finger, it was deadly sharp and pointed out like the sting from a wasp or hornet. If she got me twice with that weapon in the same place I would die. But that didn't seem to stop my body from bonding towards her like a hungry hound.

All of a sudden she was in the air over me her foot descending towards my head. I moved an inch but her shoe scratched my face leaving an annoying graze. I brought my blade around and flung it at her, it only just sliced into her thigh and she went tumbling down to the ground, with a look of shock on her delicate face.

I went to finish her with a horrible twisted pleasure in my chest but another blade stopped me. It was very thin and that belonged to a face I knew well. Urahara was standing over Soi Fon and he was staring at me out from under his green hat.

"Kurosaki-kun what seems to have happened to you?" He was smiling just like he always did. He reminded me of a weasel, always cunning and slinky, able to hide in wait.

His was the sword that had trained me in the very beginning, I knew how powerful it was and he was. I was weary, but my controlled state was not. I leapt at him roaring, the roar had never come from my mouth before. It was a new sound, but it was a serious one. I sounded like a hollow. My bones shuddered.

Urahara stayed put but before I could reach him another something was attacking me pushing me aside. I fell to the floor and my sword clattered against a rock, but my grip on it never loosened.

Chad was panting standing over me, his massive bulk of a body daring me to move, he reminded me of that angry bull hollow. But Chad despite his looks was a peaceful person.

"Ichigo, snap out of this, we need you" his gruff voice sounded desperate.

I shook my head as I got up. My body wasn't even sore despite the bruises and grazes, but that was all that could have hurt me, I had no cuts, nobody's blade had reached me. I felt confused by this, because someone should have at least had a hit. Was it because they didn't fully see me as an enemy or was it because Akahana was forcing my power to its full extent?

Speaking of her, she was at my side again.

"He can't snap out of anything" she laughed. Her dark hair was loose and rolled over her small back in slight curls. Her lips were red just like the first time I had seen her.

"Why are you doing this, you're hurting people for no reason!" He was shouting at her, but I knew it was a wasted effort. Akahana was insane, all she wanted out of this was despair and death. Life meant nothing to her, I suddenly realised that she probably didn't care if she even died, she just wanted to take someone out along with her. Selfish cow.

"Ichigo come here"

I walked towards her in a sort of tipsy daze. I hated that face, I hated those lips, and that smile, I hated the way those dark eyes lured me in like a bait to an unsuspecting fish. I felt my hollow stir within my soul again, he was pacing, and he sure as hell was mad.

She kissed the edge of my mouth and out of the corner of my eye I could see orihime looking over at me, she was doing her best healing people who had fallen. But now her eyes were locked onto mine, and I saw a small tear tickle down her cheek as Akahanas lips made full contact with my own.

I wanted to kill her, I wanted to rip her apart and fling around the pieces.

But at that moment something changed. My blood that was still on fire with her control began to cool. The coolness turned to frost and it made its way around my body like a fire of its own, an icy flame. I knew what that meant. And I smirked.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

* * *

That cold feeling spread throughout my body, and let me tell you it was like a breath of fresh air. It went from my arms down to my fingertips and it tingled on its way down creating goose bumps all over my flesh. It distinguished the fire on my soul like water on a flame.

I stood there paralysed, but not by fear, I was delighted, and I didn't quite know why.

The cold feeling was like being dunked in a bath of ice, it was amazing and yet terrible because I knew what this meant. He was taking me over.

Instead of fighting him, I gave in and let go. "Please save them" I whispered. But even though I asked this off him I had no idea what he would do, instead of helping me, he could kill everyone. It was just something I had to chance, either way someone was going to get hurt.

Akahana stepped back sensing my change in spirit pressure.

"What are you doing?"

Chad left my side and went to the others, but I could no longer see him, my vision left me as well as my sanity.

* * *

**Orihimes Point of view**

I watched as the boy I loved turned into something else. I had seen it before, only once and it scared me to death, and yet I was happy to see him appear, because maybe he was a way out, maybe he could save us.

Ichigo stood still as dust started to drift up and around him as his pressure reached a whole new level. The captains around us stopped fighting the hollows and stared panic stricken. They hadn't seen him like this.

Ishida gasped, he also knew what was happening.

As his pressure reached an intense level the dust covered him like a cloud from head to toe. The roars of the hollows around us got quiet all of a sudden. I watched as some ran back, flying into the sky and disappearing through the crack that other shinigami were trying desperately to close.

My legs started to shake as I watched bits of the dust clear. Were there was once a boy there was now a beast. A white hard coating covered him like a second skin. A hole lay in the centre of his chest. His hands and feet were now claws.

The most impressive and scary thing about the creature was its mask and horns. The horns were large long and straight. The mask was skull like and only a slight colouring of orange could be seen in the eye sockets. His orange hair was now long and straight falling down his back like a scarf being blown in the breeze

It didn't move for a while, at least not until the captains started shouting orders and other shinigami started shouting from utter confusion.

"Kurosaki has changed!"

"What is he?"

"It's a hollow!"

"But how?"

The beast moved its head slowly towards all the commotion. The remaining hollow that stood near Akahana stirred restlessly. To me they looked afraid.

A low rumble came from the beast's throat and caused the whole place to go silent.

"Hollow, I didn't order you to stop attacking, carry on!" Akahana snapped.

The other creatures with masks started against the shinigami again, they carried on as if there hadn't been a interruption at all. Despite losing a few of their numbers they were still great, and my powers of healing was starting to wear thin. My energy was decreasing rapidly.

"so this is your power, hmmm, its rather interesting" The girl with red lips approached ichigo's changed form and she stretched up onto her toes and stroked a finger along one of the horns. The beast didn't move, but that rumble sound left its mouth again.

"Attack the Shinigami, kill them all…" And she laughed.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

* * *

**Orihimes point of view**

I wasn't sure what Ichigo would do. After all he was pretty much full hollow. He seemed taller and stronger in this form, unstoppable. His horns came over his head like the devils, and he was just as scary.

Akahana stared up at him smiling. But the beast made no attempt to communicate with her. I was pretty sure he could talk, not in full sentences but maybe a few words.

It was hard to remember the last time I had seen him this way. It all went so fast.

Ichigo's changed form finally started to move. He bent lower as if he was ready to spring, and he shot off towards the Shinigami.

I watched feeling sick with fear as the captains pulled up their swords ready to attack him. I didn't know which was worse, ichigo being killed, or ichigo killing. It was something I found hard to think about, both was just as terrible, and both ended the same way.

He skidded to a stop just before Shunsui Kyouraku the captain who wore a pink robe over his normal black and white uniform. I hadn't had the chance to speak to him often, but I knew from others that he was a kind and laid back captain, who didn't like to get into fights, but yet was very powerful when he needed to be.

His eyes remained focused on the beast and he made no attempt to attack first.

The beast stared him down and grumbled again and then sniffed the air. It was strange to see someone act so animal like.

Captain Shunsui's face stayed content despite being in the line of fire, or so to speak, of a deadly creature. His black curly hair was mostly tied up, but a few strands had fallen out with so much movement. I watched as he breathed in deeply.

Sajin Komamura the captain who's head was that of a fox had had enough of waiting for Ichigo to do something and charged at him pushing Shunsui aside.

He roared while bringing his sword down towards Ichigo's shoulder but as the blade crashed onto the skin it rebounded and clattered to the floor. He looked up at the beast in horror.

"Un…unable to cut….Un…unable to cut?"

The hollow grumbled again but this time to me it sounded like laughter, but it was impossible to tell.

He didn't even use the sword that lay in his hand , he simply flicked a wrist at the captain and sent him tumbling 20feet into the air. He landed with a thud behind the line of shinigami.

"The guy needs to relax some" Shunsui breathed, but I could tell he was cautious. I knew for a fact that he didn't want to hurt ichigo. After all ichigo was still human, or at least in part. He had orders to kill, but it would be him that would have to live with it.

Ichigo's hollow form stared down at the captain's waiting to see if anyone else would move, but as a hollow from his side went running towards the line ichigo turned on him instead.

It roared with authority and the ground shook. He sliced into the hollow with so much force that the two halves landed miles apart.

Another hollow came running after and Ichigo flew at it. Instead of using his sword he dropped it and used his claws instead. He sliced at the hollow until all that was left was pieces that slowly started to disappear.

Ichigo didn't stop there. He went after another hollow who was in the middle of fighting a wounded shinigami. I didn't know the name of this one but he was very small and his hair was as dark as Akahanas. It looked like he would die soon and that pained me. I needed to help, but I couldn't move, I was scared and frozen into place.

Ishida put his hand on my shoulder. "I know you want to help, but don't go out there, we both know that when he's in this state, he can turn on us just as quickly as he started killing the hollow's."

I nodded and watched as the beast punched a hollow in its mask which made it split and in turn its body halved.

His power was unbelievable. He killed three hollow at once with one slice of his claws.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING! ATTACK THE SHINIGAMI NOT THE HOLLOW!" The woman shouted at him, but whether the beast heard her or not I didn't know, he kept up his relentless attacking on the hollow. They decided to fight him together. Ten circled him but he just stood there and I swear if he had lips he would have smiled.

A red ball of light started to form in between his horns. It was a cero, a powerful destructive force. It charged for only a couple of seconds and he sent it free while turning his head. The light passed through each hollow burning them to dust. It made trees in the distance come crashing down and made the earth rumble and split. Shinigami jumped out of the way and at last it seemed we were all spilt evenly. All the shinigami were on one side, and only a few hollow reminded next to Akahana. Ichigo stood in the middle looking straight at the other hollow.

"Stop killing them and do your job!" She shouted again, but it seemed pointless, Ichigo seemed set on killing the other hollow. Maybe he saw them as competition, maybe he wasn't saving us at all. Maybe once they were killed he would start on us.

I could only stand there and pray that the orange haired teen I loved would return to us, and that we wouldn't see any more death, at least not by his hands.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

* * *

**Orihimes point of view**

"Come on now, why are you fighting the hollow, there weaklings compared to the Shinigami, you should be attacking them" Akahana purred like a lioness. She was just as deadly. Everyone else stayed silent. There wasn't much else we could do. We were all afraid in case making a noise would make Ichigo come after us instead. It was as if all our lives were hanging by a thread. Ichigo's hollowfied form was the only thing that held those threads up, and he could cut them all whenever he wanted.

Ichigo walked slowly towards her and a deep growl emitted from his chest.

Akahana started laughing for reasons unknown. Maybe she just liked the danger and the uncertainty of her own life.

Ichigo stood facing her a foot from her body and he looked at the other hollow. He roared at them and they fled.

"Fine, if that's the way you want it!" the small woman with her red lips and dark eyes looked over to me. She smiled the sickest smile I had ever seen and laughed.

I knew something was going to happen but nobody not even myself had time to react.

She threw a knife. All I could tell was that it was pointed sharp and silver. I remember it gleaming in the rays of the sun as it flew at me with intense speed.

I mouthed the word no as I realised its destination but that was all I could do. I didn't even have time to put up my own shield. Even Ishida and Chad who stood next to me couldn't even try to stop it.

The knife slipped into my chest as easily as if it were going through butter. I didn't even feel the pain, just a sense of numbness. My vision started to go black and I fell backwards to the floor.

The only sound that stood out was the beast's roars. They were shrieking and so loud no other sound could be heard.

I felt hands touch me, but my body did not react.

* * *

**Ishida's point of view**

A knife had been thrown and then Orihimes gasp entered my ears and she was on the floor. It all happened so fast that I found it hard to believe it was real. I knelt beside her and tried to stop the bleeding. The knife had gone deep and yet it was somehow lying on the floor. I didn't know how it got there but that didn't matter.

I held my hands to the wound on her chest just where her heart would be. The blood was running quickly. Chads hands joined mine also, his pressure was much more effective so I let him do it alone. The shinigami Captains came running over but there was no time to heal. Akahana the woman who was intent on destroying everything went running at them. She didn't have another knife but a sword instead. It was a zanpaktu it was rather short and the blade was rather rectangle but it still looked average. The only thing that looked different about it was the fact that it was glowing red. She sliced at a Shinigami and knocked him down easily. I could feel the power coming of the sword and I could tell instantly that that sword took in the power of those it sliced and killed. It was a terrible weapon one that would be hard to overcome.

Ichigos hollow roared at the top of his lungs. It was the sound of ultimate despair and anger. He screeched so much that it hurt my ears. And then he came flying over landing gently despite his power. It looked over Orihime and we froze unsure on what he would do. The beast made a low growl deep from within its chest and then it turned slowly setting its eyes on Akahana who was laughing at the top of her lungs while fighting. She was elegant in her sword movements and she seemed to be able to handle a blade. So she had been a Shinigami once?

The hollowifed Ichigo bent down and stroked with the none sharp side of his claw down one of Orihimes cheeks. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him, then he eyes closed again.

The hollow was angry, his pressure was starting roll from him in black and red waves of distress.

He bounded towards Akahana Knocking away the others who were trying to fight her.

"What's this?" She called to him her face staying light and happy. "You can't hurt me Ichigo, your control may have slipped a little but that was to be expected, after all I didn't know the full beast. And what a beast you are"

She swished her sword from side to side as if she liked hearing the sound it made as it cut through the air.

"There's no point fighting me, that girl over there will soon be dead, she can't even heal herself, and it was all your fault, so you might as well do as I say" She giggled like a school kid and held out her hand to the beast.

He started to speak. The words were hard to understand they were scratchy and they almost echoed around us but I could just make out what he was saying.

"Nothing …for….me….now?"

"That's right, I am all you have" She laughed again and spun around on the spot with joy. "Come" She said her hand reaching out again.

The hollow walked towards her, his stride heavy and slow. His head bent.

"KUROSAKI NO! SHE LOVED YOU! SHE LOVED YOU, YOU CANT DO THIS TO HER!" I bellowed but he kept on walking.

Soon he was near her outstretched hand. His claws entwined with her fingers and she smiled the biggest most ugly smile I had seen of her yet.

"No Ichigo why…." I whispered the colour draining from my face. I felt numb and cold. It was over, she had Ichigo's full control. We were all going to die.

Suddenly the beasts head popped up and a hiss came from his throat. Akahana only had time to let her eyes go wide when he snapped the arm she was holding his hand with. The sound of it breaking seemed to ring out for a long time.

She screamed.

The hollow hissed again while laughing and then with his zanpaktu slit her throat. The blood poured like a waterfall down her front staining her skin and clothes. She remained standing the shock plastered on her face even in death. He then thrust his claws into her chest and from it he pulled out her heart and threw it to the ground.

She fell to the floor as a corpse. A person, a shinigami, no longer.

The beast gave one final roar and then headed over to us.

"If you're going to hurt us I will fight you" I told him, but he didn't pay me attention. He wiped his bloodied hand on his robes and knelt by Orihime. He moved chads hand out the way and examined her wound. He then pulled her onto his lap, his arms wrapping over her protectively.

He looked at his sword on the floor and then to me.

"Pass….sword…"

I didn't know what to do, he seemed to want to save her but how? I hesitated but Chad grabbed it and passed it into his vice like grip.

"But wha.."

"Its fine" Chad mumbled and then he stayed silent watching.

Ichigos hollow held onto the blade just before the handle so his arm didn't have to be further away. All of a sudden his pressure rose up even higher it was black and the bloodiest kind of red it formed around him in swirls and then it started to wrap around the sword. He pushed it further and further until the sword was covered in his pressure and then he plunged that sword into Orihimes chest. But As I watched in horror I realised that the blade wasn't cutting her, it was passing through her and transferring his spiritual power. He was saving her!

Ichigo didn't have healing powers but the fact that his power was so great and so intense her body healed on its own as if the power he was lending her made her own act instinctively. I was completely amazed. He finally dropped the blade to the floor and stared at Orihime waiting. It was odd to see a beast so cruel and so savage look at a girl so tiny in his arms. He meant her no harm I could tell, just as he never did, not with Orihime. I had no idea who Akahana was and what exactly where her reasons for this, but it didn't seem to matter she was gone now, her body torn up and ruined and turning to dust.

The hard white skin that covered him started to crack and Ichigos normal face appeared. His eyes were still gold but they were starting to be his own. His hair was still long but it started to decrease.

He smiled down at Orihime and her eyes fluttered open, and then she smiled back.

* * *

**End.**

* * *

_Note:_

_Akahana name meaning: Red rose, little red bird-Japanese_

_-Getting reviews makes the whole writing process worthwhile, be it good or bad, getting a review means that someone found your story at least interesting enough to comment about it, and so for that I thank you all for your kindness!_

_I have other plans for other stories so please add me to author alerts if you wish to carry on reading my other works. I hope you enjoyed reading and if not, well at least I tried!_

_I hope you dont think this chapter/story ended too quickly but to be truthful it was always going to end on chapter 15. And it was always going to end like this. Does anyone know the importance of the number 15 to Ichigo? :) _

_Crossing-Danger - see u soon!_


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